Fall Of The Code
by The Only Pancake
Summary: SkyClan suffers a tragic loss, and it threaten to rip the ranks apart from the inside out. Shock and hate begin to fester like a raw wound, and three young cats will find themselves put up against odds not even StarClan thinks they can overcome.
1. Ranks

_**

* * *

**_

**RANKS**

_**

* * *

Leafstar**_** - **_Brown and cream tabby she-cat w/amber eyes._

Mate of Patchfoot. Three lives remaining, ten years old. Leader of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Sparrowpelt**_** - **_Dark brown tabby tom w/dark blue eyes._

Mate of Tinybird. Brother of Cherrytail. Father of Skykit, Thrushkit, and Russetkit. Six years old. Former apprentice of Leafstar. Deputy of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Echosong**_** - **_Small, gracefully build, silver tabby she-cat with tiny gray paws and deep green eyes._

Eight years old. Medicine Cat of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Petalnose**__- Pale gray she-cat with blue eyes._

Mate of deceased Rainfur. Mother of Sagefur and Mintleaf. Thirteen years old. Elder of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Sharpclaw**_** - **_Dark ginger tom with green eyes._

Mate of Clovertail. Father of Firepaw and Orangepaw. Twelve and a half years old. Former deputy, current Elder of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Clovertail**_** - **_Light brown she-cat w/white belly + legs and amber eyes._

Mate of Sharpclaw. Mother of Tinybird, Rockslide, Orangepaw, Firepaw and deceased Bouncepaw. Nine and a half years old. Warrior of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Patchfoot**_** -**_ Black and white tom w/forest green eyes._

Mate of Leafstar. Nine years old. Warrior of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Duskfall**_** - **_Dark gray she-cat w/silvering and blue eyes._

Mate of Rockslide. Mother of Whitepaw and Shadepaw. Sister of Nightwing. Seven years old. Warrior of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Nightwing**_** - **_Dark gray tom w/black tabby stripes and amber eyes._

Brother of Duskfall. Seven years old. Warrior of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Rockslide**_** - **_Large black tom w/amber eyes._

Mate of Duskfall. Father of Whitepaw and Shadepaw. Son of Clovertail. Brother of Tinybird and deceased Bouncepaw. Half-brother of Orangepaw and Firepaw. Five and a half years old. Former apprentice of Cherrytail. Warrior of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Mintleaf­ **_**-**_Pale gray she-cat w/blue eyes._

Daughter of Rainfur and Petalnose. Sister of Sagefur. Five years old. Former apprentice of Patchfoot. Warrior of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Sagefur**_** - **_Pale gray tom w/darker flecks and blue eyes._

Mate of Briarclaw. Father of Tawnypaw, Stormpaw, and Whiskerpaw. Son of Rainfur and Petalnose. Brother of Mintleaf. Five years old. Former apprentice of Sharpclaw. Warrior of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Tigereye**_** -**_ Large black tom w/dark gray paws and golden eyes._

Brother of Shadowfox. Four and a half years old. Former apprentice of Petalnose. Warrior of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Shadowfox**_** - **_Big, dark gray she-cat w/black tabby stripes and golden-brown eyes._

Sister of Tigereye. Four and a half years old. Former apprentice of Leafstar. Warrior of Skyclan.

* * *

_**Thornfang**_** - **_Mottled, dark gray-and-brown tabby tom w/blue eyes._

Brother of Briarclaw. Four years old. Former apprentice of Sparrowpelt. Warrior of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Briarclaw**_** - **_Short-furred, cream tabby she-cat w/green eyes._

Mate of Sagefur. Mother of Tawnypaw, Stormpaw, and Whiskerpaw. Sister of Thornfang. Four years old. Former apprentice of Duskfall. Warrior of SkyClan.

* * *

**_Firepaw _- **_Bright ginger tom w/green eyes._**  
**

Son of Sharpclaw and Clovertail. Brother of Orangepaw. Thirteen moons old. Apprentice of Nightwing.

* * *

_**Orangepaw**_ - _Pale sorrel tom w/faintly darker stripes and amber eyes._**  
**

Son of Sharpclaw and Clovertail. Brother of Firepaw. Thirteen moons old. Apprentice of Thornfang.

* * *

_**Whiskerpaw**_ **- **_Mottled, silver-gray tabby tom w/dark blue eyes._**  
**

Son of Sagefur and Briarclaw. Brother of Tawnypaw and Stormpaw. Nine moons old. Apprentice of Sparrowpelt.

* * *

_**Tawnypaw **_** - **_Cream- pale brown tabby she-cat w/golden brown stripes and deep green eyes. Black tail-tip and ear rims._**  
**

Daughter of Sagefur and Briarclaw. Sister of Whiskerpaw and Stormpaw. Nine moons old. Apprentice of Shadowfox.

* * *

_**Stormpaw**_ - _Huge, pale gray tom w/white flecks and blue eyes._**  
**

Son of Sagefur and Briarclaw. Brother of Whiskerpaw and Tawnypaw. Nine moons old. Apprentice of Mintleaf.

* * *

_**Shadepaw**_ - _Very dark gray she-cat w/amber eyes._**  
**

Daughter of Rockslide and Duskfall. Sister of Whitepaw. Six moons old. Apprentice of Patchfoot.

* * *

_**Whitepaw**_ - _Solid white tom w/bright blue eyes. Muted hearing, will be totally deaf as an elder._**  
**

Son of Rockslide and Duskfall. Brother of Shadepaw. Six moons old. Apprentice of Echosong.

* * *

_**Cherrytail**_** - **_Small tortoiseshell she-cat w/green eyes._

Mate of Hutch. Mother of Acornkit and Shortkit. Sister of Sparrowpelt. Six years old. Former apprentice of Sharpclaw. Queen/Warrior of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Acornkit**_** - **_Very pale brown she-cat w/darker stripes and orange eyes._

Daughter of Hutch and Cherrytail. Sister of Shortkit. Four moons old. Kit of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Shortkit**_** - **_Small, pale gray-and-brown tom w/orange eyes._**  
**

Son of Hutch and Cherrytail. Brother of Acornkit. Four moons old. Kit of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Tinybird­**_** - **_Small white she-cat w/amber eyes._

Mate of Sparrowpelt. Mother of Skykit, Thrushkit, and Russetkit. Sister of Rockslide and deceased Bouncepaw. Half-sister of Orangepaw and Firepaw. Five and a half years old. Former apprentice of Sparrowpelt. Queen/Warrior of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Skykit­**_** -**_ Dark gray tom w/ dark blue eyes._**  
**

Son of Tinybird and Sparrowpelt. Brother of Thrushkit and Russetkit. Three moons old. Kit of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Thrushkit­**_** - **_Dark brown tabby she-cat w/amber eyes._**  
**

Daughter of Tinybird and Sparrowpelt. Sister of Skykit and Russetkit. Newborn. Kit of SkyClan.

* * *

_**Russetkit**_** - **_Striking, dark russet tom w/pale blue eyes._

Son of Tinybird and Sparrowpelt. Brother of Skykit and Thrushkit. Newborn. Kit of SkyClan.

* * *


	2. New Appentices

* * *

_**A/N:** _I would like to thank her awesomeness Risque Tendencies for being the beta of this fic. And I want to give a shout out to my fellow man-in-arms, The One Waffle, for helping me with my plot problems.

You two rock.

:D

_

* * *

_

_My claws sank deeply into the branch below my paws, trying desperately to maintain a grip on the sodden wood. The wind was howling furiously, threatening to plunge my bundle and me right back into the cold, black water of the river._

_The gust passed. I scrambled off the slippery roots, pushing myself forward until all four paws were steady on the thick tree trunk. Wolfkit wailed in terror as her tail dragged across the water a mouse-length under out paws. I forced myself to purr in an attempt to calm her down._

_My legs felt weak as I stumbled forward, nearly reaching the center of the fallen log._

"_Tawnypaw!"_

_I pricked my ears and raised my head when I heard my name yowled mutedly above the storm. Narrowing my eyes, I saw three dark silhouettes splashing through the floodwater to reach the bank._

_The wind whistled again, battering my side. I dug my claws into the wood so deeply my paws started to throb. The largest figure signaled for the other two to stay back. I couldn't tell who it was; I could barely see Wolfkit's ears two inches in front of my eyes._

_The cat stepped onto the log, the sudden weight making the bridge shift a little. Wolfkit shrieked again, her fear-scent threatening to gag me._

_I saw a pair of fierce golden eyes blaze with determination and the cat inched along. I strained forward to hand the precious little she-kit off. Without stopping to glance at either of the others, the cat turned and raced towards where the clan was sheltering. Wolfkit would need to be seen by Echosong right away to avoid catching too bad of a chill._

_My body trembled with relief, and I started to walk along the slippery wooden surface again. The wind threatened to knock my paws right out from under me. I heard a familiar voice encourage, "You're doing fine, Tawnypaw. Just another fox-length, take it slow."_

_I didn't have the chance to try and make it across---slowly or otherwise. My moving weight shook the log loose from the mud, and the unforgiving current made the bridge lurch sideways._

_I felt my heart skip a beat, and the tom beside my best friend wailed, "No!"_

_Anything else that either of them may have said was cut off as I crashed into the roaring water and began to wash downstream._

* * *

**Present Day**

Paws curled under my chest, I lay at the entrance of the den and watched the snow fall calmly from the pale night sky. I was dimly aware of one of my brothers sitting just behind me as we waited.

_All _of the apprentices were inside the den as we waited to hear Leafstar's call. It was the full moon tonight, so as soon as the moon reached its highest point in the sky the clan would gather. There was a buzz around the camp since dawn, whispers of curiosity and excitement. Leafstar had a very special announcement, she had told us, and everyone wondered what it could be.

"I bet she's having kits," Orangepaw eventually thought a-loud. Orangepaw was the son of the ex-deputy Sharpclaw and the senior warrior Clovertail. Sharpclaw retired a few moons after his birth. He and his brother were now thirteen moons old---nearly warriors.

"Who?" Firepaw, Orangepaw's littermate, asked distractedly as he peered out into the camp. I turned my head to listen to the conversation.

"Leafstar."

My brothers, Whiskerpaw and Stormpaw, both looked astonished with this assumption. The most outspoken of us, Stormpaw demanded, "Is that even _allowed_?"

"She _is_ the leader," Whiskerpaw pointed out mildly. "She can do whatever she wants."

"No she can't! Not even a leader can break the warrior code," Firepaw argued, his voice very heated. He was extremely strict with himself and us other apprentices when it came to following the laws laid down by StarClan themselves. The very same laws all clan cats have followed since the very beginning of our time.

"And if she did, what would we do about it?" Stormpaw asked sharply, letting his notorious temper flare.

The toms glared at one another, hackles bristling on them both. Stormpaw may only be nine moons old, but he was a _big_ cat. He was nearly the same size as Firepaw was. If the two of them got into a fight it would be difficult for any of us others to break up. Orangepaw and Whiskerpaw were on the smaller side, and I couldn't out muscle two aggressive males.

"Both of you, get over yourselves!" Whiskerpaw hissed, looking irritated.

"Yeah," Orangepaw agreed. "All she-cats have the right to kits, so this whole argument is just wasting time and energy."

"Echosong can't have kits," I pointed out for the sake of being mischievous. I thought it rather amusing to see the headstrong brutes spitting at one another. It very rarely led to even the threats of violence, so it was not like I was actually being a problem.

"That is different," Firepaw pointed out, as if I didn't already know. "She is our medicine cat."

He left it at that, because there was nothing more that needed to be said. Even the tiniest of kits knew that a medicine cat, no matter the gender, was forbidden from choosing a mate so long as they wished to remain a medicine cat. No warrior knew the reason why, because it was never spoken of. It was just something that was not done.

"Leafstar has gotten rather fat," I pointed out with a chuckle. Nobody argued that. She had been glued to Patchfoot's side _and _spending all her free time with the other queens. Orangepaw was probably right. I would have been terribly shocked to learn Leafstar was not expecting.

She only had three lives left. If she wanted them she'd have to have them soon, right?

"It's going to be a bitter winter," Whiskerpaw predicted as he glanced outside once more, his ears twitching warily. None of us were old enough to remember any snow, even though Firepaw and Orangepaw had been born at the end of last leafbare.

I suspected that Whiskerpaw was correct, though. The elders said that the cold season had come almost an entire moon too early, and our deputy Sparrowpelt mentioned that the even the rats seemed to realize trouble was on the way.

The rats were our biggest problem here in SkyClan. Sure, we had other things; foxes, badgers, and rogues. But a run-in with any of those was few and far between. I had never seen a badger or cat that didn't belong to the clan---excluding Hutch.

Hutch was an ex-warrior that helped found the clan. He had returned to his kittypet life shortly after, feeling he was not ever going to be happy as a fierce and fearless wild cat. He visited all the time now that Cherrytail had his kits, Shortkit and Acornkit.

Anyway, the colony of rats living at the barn had been a growing threat for many long seasons. The senior warriors, the cats who rebuilt the clan with Firestar and Sandstorm of ThunderClan, could remember the battle where my grandfather Rainfur lost his life. They worried that one of the same relative magnitude was just beyond the horizon.

We had not seen a trace of rat in two moons. None of us apprentices were able to truly comprehend this sudden anxiety. Perhaps we were not yet old enough to understand, even with two of us so close to warriorhood.

Leafstar's summoning yowl startled me out of my thoughts. My brothers and Firepaw swarmed out of the den, eager to get good spots for the ceremony that was being held tonight. Shadekit and her brother Whitekit would be earning their apprentice names and mentors now that they were six moons old.

I padded behind them more slowly, with Orangepaw at my side. He asked me conversationally, "So, Tawnypaw, are you nervous about your assessment tomorrow afternoon?"

I had almost forgotten. Tomorrow at sunhigh my brothers and I had our very first apprentice-assessment. Sparrowpelt was going be making sure we were learning our battle skills at a proper rate. After the evening meal the Clovertail and her son Rockslide would be watching us during a hunting assessment, held at night because it was more challenging.

If you could succeed at something hard, you would excel at something easy. That is what my mentor, Shadowfox, always liked to tell me.

"Why would I be nervous?" I asked him honestly.

"Oh, you know. Whiskerpaw is a better hunter than you are, and Stormpaw is a better fighter." His voice was playful rather than condescending, and I could tell by the twinkle in his eye that was just kidding around. "I would be nervous if I were you."

I snorted, feeling myself hold back a giggle. I knew Orangepaw better than his own brother seemed to sometimes. He played with us when we were kits, and he was supportive of all us younger apprentices. Besides, his mentor was my uncle Thornfang. It was expected that we saw a lot of one another.

And what I saw in him right now was slyness. He was trying to give me a confidence boost. And it was working too...

"I can outshine them both at the very same time if I want to," I answered, perhaps just a little arrogantly. Growling a little I added, "I can be better than you, too!"

"Hah! Prove it!" He challenged, his tail rising in amusement.

Yowling loudly, I flung myself at Orangepaw. He dodged to the side with the speed of an adder and roughly shoved me off of my paws. I grunted as I flipped onto my side. Claws sheathed, the heavy tom landed on me and knocked my breath out.

I struggled under him, managing to twist onto my belly. With a mighty heave I flung myself upwards, sending him toppling onto his back. I instantly retreated, darting towards the rock pile. Orangepaw shouted a protest and pounded after me.

Streaking forward at full-speed, the only way I'd ever have the slightest chance at outrunning the fastest cat in the clan, I ducked behind my father Sagefur. I demanded, "Save me! The badger is attacking!"

Orangepaw skidded to a halt and narrowed his eyes. "Hey! Why do I have to be a badger? They're lumbering, stupid animals."

"And that's _exactly_ why you have to be a badger," I teased. "You're not cunning enough to be a fox."

My father purred in amusement, his soft blue eyes shining. "All right you two, settle down. The meeting will start any moment."

I realized that Leafstar had been watching our play fight with a soft smile on her face as we waited for the last stragglers of the clan to arrive. Orangepaw licked down his chest fur in embarrassment, but I just smiled and flopped onto my side.

The last two attending cats, Nightwing---who had been on guard on the Sky Rock, and Cherrytail---who had to get her kits settled before she could leave them---had soon arrived. Only Tinybird was absent. She was due to kit... yesterday, actually. It wouldn't be good for her to leave her nest.

Leafstar began to speak, her voice ringing strong above all the murmuring, "Tonight is the night that Shadekit and Whitekit receive their mentors."

The clan instantly hushed into silence. I instinctively looked to Duskfall and her children. On one side sat Shadekit, her eyes wild with excitement and her claws impatiently kneading the ground below her feet. On the other was Whitekit, his eyes half-closed as he sat there---looking totally relaxed and serene.

"From now until they earn their full names, these kits will be known as Shadepaw and Whitepaw," Leafstar announced. The cream tabby smiled down at the enthusiastic female apprentice.

"Patchfoot, you taught Mintleaf well." Leafstar hesitated for the slightest of moments. I knew why; I had been told the story all apprentice eventually learned. Patchfoot's first apprentice Bouncepaw, the son of the elder Clovertail, had been lost to a tragic accident just two moons into his training. No cat liked to speak of that day. None of us young ones even knew what had killed him!

Giving herself a little shake, Leafstar continued a moment later. "I expect you to pass your strength and skill onto Shadepaw."

The mentor and apprentice touched noses to her mentor. He led her over to the side and out; the attention then turned back to Leafstar.

"Whitepaw has been _selected_," she announced, her voice perhaps a bit more in volume than usual. Being a white cat with blue eyes, Whitepaw had the deafness gene that was unfortunately common for that combination. His hearing was diluted, and it was suspected he'd be totally unable to hear once he neared his eldership.

A ripple of surprise seemed to jolt through the entire clan at Leafstar's words. The young tom finally turned his head to look at Leafstar, his bright eyes glowing knowingly. Leafstar continued, "StarClan has spoken with Echosong! Whitepaw, is it your wish to train to be the next medicine cat of SkyClan?"

His eyes blazed with sudden eagerness. He declared firmly, "Yes, it is."

Leafstar nodded once. "Then it shall be so. Echosong, teach this youngster the way of the healer, and guide him along the path that he must walk."

The dainty silver tabby picked her way forward to greet her apprentice. I noticed that her deep green eyes held a certain... glint. It was an oddly desperate look that I couldn't recall having ever seen before. A moment later she purred and started leading Whitepaw further into the clan. The little light was gone. I realized I must have been imagining it.

Sparrowpelt had climbed the rock pile and come to sit beside his former mentor. That instantly caught the clan's attention. Once it was silent, the deputy started to speak. "Leafstar has informed me that tonight she joins the nursery."

A gleeful chorus rang among the clan, and I saw Orangepaw smirked at his brother. Firepaw looked happy, though. We were all happy. Kits were a blessing to the clan.

Besides, we needed more kits. Tinybird had lost three of her four sons three moons ago to an early bout of whitecough. The newborns had not been strong enough to fight it off, nor old enough to be given any herbs. It was over for them within a few short days. Only Skykit remained, and he was excited to be an older brother as soon as Tinybird's second litter arrived.

Cherrytail only had two, though, and the clan had not been threatened with so _very_ few apprentices since it was founded. Not after the members who had traveled from very far arrived---my mother and uncle included. Every clan needed a lot of warriors, even clans like ours with no other clans to compete against.

That was just how it was.

The clan began to break apart. I bounded over to Whitepaw, who was just sitting there observing the clan business. I heard Orangepaw come up to my shoulder, though he remained silent because he didn't know what we were doing.

Whitepaw's icy eyes locked onto mine. I asked, "Do you want help collecting moss for your nest? You have to go into the Whispering Cave."

The Whispering Cave was where our medicine cat and leader went to share tongues with StarClan. It was situated as an overhang of the river that cut into the camp's edge. Whitepaw had wandered off there with Shadepaw once when they were young kits in late greenleaf. He had slipped on the wet moss and fallen right into the river.

If Tigereye, the clan's strongest swimmer, had not been near enough to hear Shadekit's wails for help the tom would have died. It was no secret that he was absolutely terrified of the water now.

He seemed to understand the reason behind my offer. He accepted instantly, "That would be nice."

I led the way down towards the cave. Ducking under the wall I entered the open arena. The tomcats followed me. Orangepaw bounded right over to the far wall and started looking for the best moss. I watched Whitepaw as his body totally locked up. His eyes stretched wide and he asked under his breath, "Do you hear them?"

It took me a second before his question clicked. "The whisperings of StarClan? No, can you?"

The whole reason the cave had its name was because of something that happened during the re-founding. StarClan had led the then-kits Tinybird, Rockslide, and Bouncepaw into the cave. The three of them insisted they could hear voices whispering in their ears. Echosong confirmed it once she had joined the clan. After that, no cat but Echosong herself had heard them again. Apparently the young tom, selected by the ancestors themselves, had that same connection in here.

Whitepaw's ears perked and he shook his head. "Not whispers. _Voices_. Loud, clear voices. They're talking to me!"

Orangepaw had padded back over to the two of us. He asked excitedly, "What are they saying, Whitepaw?"

He snapped his head to the side to gaze unblinkingly at the elder apprentice. A soft smile curled onto his muzzle and he promised, "Nothing really. They say hello."

His eyes flickered onto me for the briefest second. I took it that he was daring us to disagree with him, as it was obvious by his bristling tail that the messages were probably more important than a greeting. I shared a look with Orangepaw, who just shrugged.

Purring warmly I promised, "Your secrets are safe with us, Whitepaw. You can relax."

He clearly trusted me, because his fur flattened and his muscles loosened. He reminded us, "Moss."

Orangepaw perked. "I found some really thick stuff. Come on, I will show you how to get it without getting wet."

It was not long before we had collected his bedding and made it back to the den. Firepaw and Shadepaw were asleep together, both set for the dawn patrol. Stormpaw and Whiskerpaw were drowsily sharing tongues in the furthest edge of the den.

Orangepaw flopped into his own nest, which was settled just beside my own. I circled into it and leaned against his side---relishing the warmth on this cold winter night.

"Room for one more?" Whitepaw asked tentatively, his eyes warily looking at the other two pairs. He didn't seem inclined to wake his fierce sister, and I noticed his hackles prickle when he took in Stormpaw's intimidating figure. He was a scrawny little cat, without being compared to the bigger toms.

"Sure, just get comfortable," I answered for us, as Orangepaw's eyes were already drooping closed.

Whitepaw nosed his moss around messily before flopping over. Purring under his breath he snuggled near us, efficiently creating a little triangle of fur. I set my chin on his flank as he tucked his head beside Orangepaw's foreleg. It was not long before all three of us had fallen asleep.

* * *


	3. The Warrior Code

* * *

The next day flew by, I having just woken up before the first assessment. It was not difficult for any of us three apprentices to pass our first assessment. Sparrowpelt said that Whiskerpaw and I needed to practice the more complicated moves a bit, but we had a long time to perfect them.

Hunting was easy, too. My very-tabby coat, though an unusual color, helped me blend into the foliage and hide from the prey. Whiskerpaw was barely detectable among the snow. Stormpaw ran too heavily, but the soft power helped muffle his hasty steps. My brother and I would help him remember to be light on his feet in the moons we had left to train before our final assessments.

The morning after that I was set to attend the dawn patrol. Shadepaw woke me up and the two of us headed towards the waiting warriors. Those were Duskfall, Nightwing, and Shadowfox.

As soon as we had arrived Shadowfox asked, "Where are we patrolling, Nightwing?"

"I have to go and ask Sparrowpelt." The senior warrior reported. "He's been in the nursery all night."

The black tom flicked his tail to signal he would be right back, and then turned and loped towards the nursery. I asked cheerfully, "Did Tinybird start her kitting?" It would explain why Whitepaw had been gone this early morning.

"Yes, shortly after the moon began to sink." Duskfall answered through a purr. She was a good friend with Tinybird. I would imagine she'd be pleased to know the new kits were on the way.

"Why does kitting take so long?" Shadepaw wondered out loud, her curious amber eyes bright. Both of us looked at the she-cats for an answer. Shadowfox even glanced towards Duskfall. Having never had a litter of her own, it was understandable that she didn't know.

"Sometimes it just takes a while. Once the first kit arrives the process is rather swift," Duskfall answered patiently.

Her brother reappeared a moment later and announced, "Sparrowpelt says we should check out the barn." He trotted towards the ravine a moment later. Duskfall and Firepaw quickly joined him and the three began a different conversation.

Shadowfox and I stayed a few tail-lengths behind. I asked hopefully, "Do you think we'll get to fight some rats?"

"Perhaps," She answered simply.

"I hope so," I admitted, flicking my tail from side to side with eagerness. I'd never gotten to fight _anything_ before. Nothing that was an actual threat to the clan's safety.

I felt my eyes widen a little in surprise when my mentor fixed me with a very stern look. "Tawnypaw, you should never _want_ to risk your safety unless it's necessary."

I narrowed my eyes at her and challenged, "But we have to protect the clan, don't we? It's part of the warrior code!"

I was feeling very confused by the turn this conversation had taken. Why shouldn't I want to fight with the rats? They were our only real enemy. They had taken SkyClan out once---and they had tried a second time. They were dangerous. Everything that posed a danger to my clan mates had to be eliminated.

I had thought so, at least.

"The warrior code states only that we must defend the clan," She reminded me patiently. "It does not ask us to look for trouble."

I fell silent and looked away from her, feeling myself start to get a little broody. What was the point in having so many warriors, battle ready and expertly trained, if all we were going to do was sit around and wait for danger to catch us off guard?

Shadowfox nudged my shoulder and asked in good humor, "Are you going to start sulking now?"

"No." I answered instantly, possibly a bit sharper than what an acceptable tone for an apprentice to speak to a warrior could be. I was not _sulking_. I was _brooding_. There was a difference.

"Why don't you get the thorn out of your foot, Tawnypaw?" Shadepaw interjected, sounding annoyed. "Just because you're too mouse-brained to understand the warrior code still doesn't mean you need to get offended when your mentor explains it to you."

I snapped my head up, aggression surging forward and making my hackles rise. "Why don't _you_ stop trying to act like a warrior when you're barely an apprentice?"

"Tawnypaw," Shadowfox warned quietly, her sharp golden-brown eyes flashing with disapproval. She had learned quickly, and been reminded often, that I had quite a short temper sometimes. Shadepaw had been rubbing my fur the wrong way for the last three days!

Shadepaw snorted. "Typical kittypet reaction, getting defensive for no reason."

I halted my walk abruptly, feeling my coat fluff out in rage. I yowled, "What did you just call me?" Who was she to talk? Our own deputy and future leader had been born as a house cat!

"Well your mom came from Twoleg Place, didn't she?" She asked acidly. "And wasn't Sagefur born in a Twoleg nest?"

My claws unsheathed and I snarled, "Duskfall and Rockslide were not born in the clan, either!"

"They were rogues when they were found," she argued, turning to face me. "They have _real_ warrior blood in them, like Leafstar."

My loud wail of fury split through the silent dawn air as I launched myself at Shadepaw. She hissed in shock as we tumbled over, rolling a few feet before falling motionless. Spitting, Shadepaw raked her claws across my cheek. I winced at the burn that seared on my face, but ignored it for the most part.

The blood rushing in my ears deafened me to the angry shouts of the warriors. I easily knocked the smaller she-cat onto her back, biting down into her shoulder hard enough to make her squeal.

A heavy, sheathed paw cracked me in the head and knocked me over. Nightwing loomed in between Shadepaw and I, his eyes burning with anger. He didn't say anything. He didn't _have_ to say anything. Both of us instinctively shrank away from the large tom's blazing glare.

I caught sight of the other warriors. Duskfall just shook her head a little bit. She was used to Shadepaw causing trouble---she did it all the time as a kit. Shadowfox looked possibly the very farthest thing possible from amused.

"You stay by me," Nightwing ordered as he nudged me forward. Apparently he had decided that I would be less confrontational if I was in front of Shadepaw and not forced to look at her. I rolled onto my paws and stalked beside him, feeling myself get testier with each step that I took.

Why would Shadepaw have a problem with my kittypet linage? Half of the clan shared it with me. Sparrowpelt, Cherrytail, Petalnose; all of their kin. My mother and uncle, Briarclaw and Thornfang, may have been discovered in Twoleg place but so were a lot of others.

I decided that I would ask Whitepaw when we returned to the camp. Perhaps he would know why it bothered his sister so much.

* * *

Whitepaw was with Whiskerpaw when the patrol returned. Skykit, Acornkit, and Shortkit were with the two toms at the shallow end of the river. Skykit and Acornkit were splashing around the inch-deep water while Shortkit was listening to Whiskerpaw recount the story of the time we saw a fox.

He was exaggerating, of course. The two of us had been out in the forest with Sparrowpelt, who was his mentor. We were practicing tree climbing when a very sharp and unfamiliar scent had been carried by on the wind. Sparrowpelt had swiftly nudged us behind some bracken and told us to be silent.

We barely saw the fox as it decided to turn the other direction and peruse what we thought was a vole. We were sent back to the clan to tell some of the warriors to find Sparrowpelt and help chase it off.

Of course, Whiskerpaw wasn't going to tell it that way. This version was hyped-up with a near-death experience tossed in.

I rolled up eyes but ignored the two of them. I sat down beside Whitepaw instead. He turned his attention onto me and asked, "Patrol not go well?"

"What makes you ask?" I inquired suspiciously. How could he know that?

"You're fur is ruffled and you smell aggressive," he answered me, turning his watchful eye back onto the playing kits. His ears perked in alarm when Acornkit shoved the smaller tom onto his back in the water. An instant later the medicine-cat-to-be relaxed because Skykit sprang onto his paws.

_Whoa, observant much?_

"_Your_ sister started a fight with me," I answered, frustration with the whole situation making me take my anger out on poor Whitepaw. "I wasn't even talking to her and she started saying bad things about my parents!"

Whiskerpaw's voice suddenly disappeared, and I saw him glance my direction with wide eyes. He rather liked the fiery young she-cat. He looked just as shocked to hear what Shadepaw had done as I felt when it happened.

"What did she say?" Whitepaw asked neutrally.

"She called me a kittypet!" I spat, feeling hostility bubbling inside of my chest again as I watched the gray she-cat slinking about on the other side of the camp.

"But a lot of us have kittypet roots!" Shortkit squeaked, his eyes as wide as full moons. See, even the kits knew how horribly unfair it was for Shadepaw to say something like that! Both Shortkit's mother and his father had come from the town. Hutch _still_ lived there!

"Shadepaw doesn't mean you any harm." Whitepaw's voice roused me from my moment of mental-ranting. "I'm _sure_ she was not looking for a fight over it. She isn't used to being with cats that will fight back."

His eyes locked onto mine and he smiled a little. I felt his calm and non-accusing demeanor allowing me to relax considerably. He purred gently, "Shadepaw tries too hard to be loyal to the clan; that is her biggest fault."

"That's a fault?" Skykit asked wondrously. Both he and Acornkit had gathered to hear us talking.

Whitepaw smiled down at them. "No cat can deny loyalty is necessary for clan life, kits, but there is a certain point that we can cross when it comes to loyalty. It is a thin and murky line."

They glanced at each other in confusion. I too was having trouble comprehending that exactly that meant. Maybe that was his intention, just to prove how sketchy things like this could be. That was a smart move, did it happen to be his actual intention.

He decided to elaborate for the little ones. "If I asked you what you think being loyal means, what would you answer?"

"Defending the clan!" Skykit answered.

"And taking care of the elders and sick cats first," Shortkit added.

"Respecting boundaries and prey," Acornkit gave as her contribution.

Whiskerpaw even engaged himself in the story by tacking on, "Obeying Leafstar's orders."

Whitepaw nodded. "Right, all of you. All of those examples are part of the warrior code."

"The code only says a warrior must reject the soft life of a kittypet," I pointed out harshly. "It never says we can't have once _been_ kittypets."

Whitepaw flicked his ear towards me to indicate he acknowledged my protest, but he didn't look away from the kits. He continued speaking instead. "What line can we cross, kits, which would be pushing these laws too far?"

All five of us were now giving him our full attention. I felt like I was listening to the wisdom of the oldest elder, rather than a freshly made apprentice.

"If a warrior kills a trespasser, have they crossed a line?" He asked us. "If the clan is starving and we choose to feed a queen before an ill warrior, is that also okay? What if we had to steal prey from a kittypet garden to feed the clan? What if we had to disobey an order from Leafstar for the good of the entire clan?"

Now I understood the point of this. We were allowed to kill trespassers if we had to. We were supposed to make the decisions to put a kit ahead of everything else. Sometimes food needed to be taken from wherever we could get it. Sometimes the clan as a whole was more important than any single member.

And it was all okay with the warrior code, but that didn't make it right.

The kittens seemed terribly confused. They would have to get a little bit older to understand such complex and no-win questions.

Whitepaw purred at them, "Nevermind. Just remember that sometimes certain things are more important than others." He glanced at my brother and asked, "Whiskerpaw, why don't you take them back to their mothers?"

My bother nodded once. He may have been older than Whitepaw, but Whitepaw was training to be a medicine cat. Not the most powerful member of the clan, but by _far_ the most honored and respected. It was just a learned behavior, to be obedient towards the cats closest to StarClan.

My brother herded the kits away. Whitepaw glanced at me and asked, "Do you understand what I meant now, Tawnypaw?"

I realized that I did. He was asking me not to be angry with his sister over her unwarranted rudeness. She was only trying to stay loyal to what she had been taught since she was Skykit's age. She was trying_ so_ hard, that she was willing to prosecute clan-born cats with "tainted" blood.

With two parents and a mentor that were all ex-rogues, I didn't see her changing her mind anytime soon. Whitepaw didn't seem to think so either, because his kind eyes were soft with pre-needed apology for Shadepaw's behavior.

I sensed this sudden shame inside of him, and licked his shoulder briskly. I tried to be upbeat. "Hey, don't look so dejected. You can't control what Shadepaw's heart makes her do."

He looked up at me somewhat adoringly. I felt my fur shiver a little from the intensity in his eyes. He asked, "Will you come herb collecting with me? Echosong needs borage, and I can't carry enough back for her."

"Sure," I accepted. "Just let me tell Shadowfox where I'm going. She is already unhappy with me; I don't think she'd appreciate it if I disappeared."

Whitepaw nodded. "I'll wait at the fallen log."

I trotted nearer to the cliffside, where the dens were located. I felt a little spark of intimidation as I neared my mentor. She was with her brother Tigereye and my aunt Mintleaf. Three of the fiercest cats in the clan together at one time just settled wrong with us young apprentices.

I put on a brave face and loped over to them, dipping my head respectfully. I asked, "Shadowfox, can I go herb collecting with Whitepaw? He wanted some help."

"Is his sister going as well?" she asked, referring to Shadepaw.

"No, it's just us," I answered immediately.

"Just you two?" Tigereye echoed, sounding worried. He turned his attention onto his sister. "The hard winter will be driving badgers out of their dens with hunger. Can she protect Whitepaw alone if they run into one?"

"Why not send Firepaw with her?" Mintleaf suggested to Shadowfox, nodding towards Firepaw as he exited the apprentice's den from sleeping in late. "He is nearly a warrior, and Nightwing speaks highly of his fighting skills."

"And Nightwing doesn't speak highly of _anything_," Tigereye added with a snort.

"Fine," my mentor agreed. "Ask Firepaw to come with you, Tawnypaw, and then you may go."

"Thank you, Shadowfox!" I smiled cheerfully as I turned away from the warriors and caught up with Firepaw. I explained the mission to him, and we joined up with Whitepaw.

Serious about everything, Firepaw walked in front of us like a bodyguard from possible danger. I walked beside Whitepaw, surprised when he brushed his flank lightly against mine as we searched for the leaves he needed.

I didn't move away from his friendly gesture, though. I liked Whitepaw; he was fast becoming the same friend-material Orangepaw was. And it was a little obvious he thought the same of me. No harm ever came out of friendship, even if one would be harder with a medicine cat.

I had never been bothered by a challenge before.

* * *


	4. Tragedy

* * *

Nothing particularly important happened for the next moon or so, just regular training and off-time play.

But one late night, I woke to a panicked yowl. Blinking a little, I snapped my head up and peered at Whitepaw. His fur was fluffed out and he was coated in blood. I sprang onto my paws in alarm and opened my mouth to ask what was happening.

He beat me to it. "Leafstar, she's kitting wrong. I sent Stormpaw for Echosong, and Shadepaw for Sparrowpelt. I need your help!"

He didn't wait a single heartbeat before he charged the other direction. I realized that the den was empty. Orangepaw and Firepaw were having their final assessment, and Whiskerpaw was on the night patrol.

My tail fluffed out in fear, I barreled after Whitepaw up to the nursery. We had to move aside to avoid being run over by some of the warriors. They were evacuating the entire nursery, kits and queens alike, to make space for Whitepaw. We slunk along the edge of the rocks until we came skidding to Leafstar's side.

And I do mean _skidding_. I slipped on a shallow puddle of her blood and nearly fell onto my face. Bile rose in my throat from the stench, the _sight_, of my wounded leader. Whitepaw seemed immune to the horror of it. He took up his position and ordered me briskly, "Hold your paw against her neck, hard. It will slow the blood flow."

"Won't that stop her from breathing?" I asked in confusion.

Whitepaw snapped his head up, his blue eyes suddenly colder than the ice they seemed to be made of. He answered me darkly, "It's her or the kits, Tawnypaw, and I've made my decision."

A chill ran along my spine, but I did as I was hold. My heart was galloping against my ribcage as I watched him manipulate our leader's stomach expertly. An instant later a little bundle slid out of her. He broke the casing around it and handed the motionless ball of fur to the nearest cat---Petalnose.

She retreated and started licking it. I realized that Patchfoot and Hutch were also with us in the den. Patchfoot fell to his belly and pressed his nose against Leafstar's face, muttering private whispers to her barely conscious body.

A second kit was handed to Hutch. Echosong and Stormpaw came pounding into the den just as Whitepaw announced there was a third.

Echosong's eyes were wild. She glanced at Stormpaw and asked, "Do you know what dried clover looks like?"

"It's too late for that," Whitepaw confidently announced. "She's gone, Echosong. There's still a kit in her."

"She's _gone_?" Patchfoot wailed. "How do you know?"

Whitepaw ignored her as he helped Echosong try to coax the final kitten out---it seemed it was almost ready to arrive.

"Leafstar, you can't leave me!" The tom cried, pushing me aside to nudge her shoulder. I stumbled backwards and leaned against Stormpaw, feeling a little light headed.

The third kit came. Whitepaw himself took it and began to wash it. Echosong hung her head, her eyes drifting to Leafstar. After a few moments Petalnose reminded quietly, "The kits are getting cold."

Just then I became awake to the two creatures, mewling faintly as they blindly wiggled at the paws of the elder and kittypet.

"What queen will suckle them?" Hutch asked tensely. "Cherrytail's milk dried a half moon ago."

"Tinybird, surely, cannot manage three more." Tigereye's voice cut into the silence. Several warriors were gathered at the face of the den now, alerted by Patchfoot's frantic wailing minutes previous.

Was he right? Only two of her three kits still needed milk. Had no queen _ever_ had a litter of five before?

"They will die before sunset tomorrow." Sharpclaw hissed scornfully, his eyes regretful as he looked at his fallen leader's motionless body.

"She had three lives left!" Mintleaf cried. "Why didn't you try to save _her_, Whitepaw? There would have been other kits."

"You let your leader die!" My uncle Thornfang shouted in outrage. I heard several aggressive growls sound from behind him. The thick scents of confusion and disbelief, fear and anger, were all sifting into the cramped little den.

Whitepaw lifted his head from the squirming body, his eyes gentle again. He looked directly at the warriors---the very heart of the clan---and disagreed. "I did the right thing."

"What you _thought_ was right," Nightwing hissed.

"Would you rather lose three kits?" I demanded, suddenly feeling so furious and shocked that I whirled around to face the rest of the clan. Every hair on my pelt bristled with hostility as my protective side flared. I glared them all down and hissed, "_Murder_ three kits by not even trying to save them?"

"What is more important?" I heard Shadowfox ask. "A cat near the age of an elder, or three new lives?"

The angry snarls and mutters hushed considerably after Shadowfox challenged them. She and her brother had come to SkyClan when they were just seven moons old.. She had trained under Leafstar herself, and played an active and reliable role ever since. Her thoughts were valued among the others.

Duskfall, Whitepaw's own mother, sided with the other she-cat. "Leafstar wouldn't have wanted anything different. Her kits would have always been out above herself."

"Would any of you done differently if you had to choose?" I heard Clovertail ask accusingly.

No cat dared to challenge Clovertail's opinion. She was eldest warrior in the clan, and she was among the very most respected. Besides, her question was valid.

The crowd suddenly parted in the middle as Sparrowpelt, our new leader as of three minutes previous, padded into the den. His eyes were dark and his pelt rippling with tension. It led me to believe he had heard the scorn being thrown at Whitepaw, and he looked _furious_.

For a few seconds he was silent. He spoke to the clan in a slicing tone, "The life of a kit is never to be sacrificed if it can be prevented. Whitepaw was right to bring them into this world. All of you, get out."

Someone tried to argue. "But, Leafstar is-"

Sparrowpelt snapped his head backwards to quickly it looked like a blur. For the first time ever, he let his pain and his anger lash against his own clan. He half-snarled, half-caterwauled, "_Get OUT!_"

Terrified by this unfathomed burst of rage, the clan scattered in various directions. Only those of us with kits remained. Cherrytail and Tinybird hesitantly peered into the dark den, their kittens clustered fearfully at their feet.

Sparrowpelt lowered his ears and asked his mate quietly, "Tinybird, will you take him?"

"Of course," she answered instantly.

Finally, Echosong was roused from her thoughts. She announced, "I have herbs that will help you keep enough milk. Take the kits to my den until the nursery is cleaned out."

She padded off quickly. Tinybird and Cherrytail followed, their little ones scampering after them. Hutch and Petalnose grabbed their newborns and followed. Whitepaw did the same, holding his head high as he followed. I walked beside him, acutely ignoring the hostile eyes of the upset warriors.

Before long the queens had been settled into new nests---Skykit sharing his with Acornkit and Shortkit while Cherrytail comforted her brother over the loss of his leader and former mentor.

Whitepaw was finding the herbs for Tinybird, and I started licking the blood from my paws with a sick feeling in my stomach.

Echosong shattered the sudden silence. "Sparrowpelt, we must go to the Whispering Cave tonight. _Now_. Moonhigh is soon."

Sparrowpelt needed to share tongues with StarClan and receive his nine lives before he could truly be leader of the clan. And then before moonhigh tomorrow he had to name his deputy. It was tradition.

The two of them left the den. I heard Sparrowpelt calmly promise that he would speak to Leafstar if he could, and he would make sure the clan knew her thoughts on the matter. It seemed to satisfy the hurt---therefore aggressive---clan members because nobody said a single word of scorn again.

* * *

Whitepaw refused to let me leave the den. He made me eat an extremely horrid tasting herb, promising me that it would prevent shock. He gave the same thing to Patchfoot, who was slumped helplessly in a nest in the corner, his eyes hollow with grief.

Stormpaw and Cherrytail had taken Leafstar's body to be sat vigil for. Even the three eldest kits were with her.

Orangepaw had come into the den as soon as he had said his final goodbye to Leafstar. He was sitting rigidly near the entrance. I was surprised when I realized Firepaw and Stormpaw were lying just outside of the entrance, both of them looking extremely tense.

Were they protecting the new kits, or were they protecting Whitepaw? Some terrified part of me believed it was the latter.

"Tawnypaw?" Tinybird asked gently. I glanced at her to see what she wanted. She asked, "Can you manage watching them for a little while?"

She was a young kit when the clan was founded. Leafstar made her and her brothers apprentices the night she became a leader. Of course she would want to pay her final respects. I accepted gently, "Yes, I will be fine. Take as long as you need."

The kits would wake up hungry again in two hours. She had time to grieve if she needed it. The she-cat nodded gratefully and slipped past the boys. I curled myself around the five little creatures, setting my tail on top of them for extra warmth.

My gaze settled onto Whitepaw. He was staring past Orangepaw, watching the clan distantly mourn the loss of Leafstar. He looked as eerily calm as he always had. Even when two thirds of the clan was willing to shred him for they considered ultimate betrayal and disloyalty to the clan, he was unwilling to feel troubled.

For the very first time earlier, I had seen he had a side that was not so relaxed and gentle. I had seen in his eyes the bitterest confliction. He was extremely young to have had to make such a decision like that. To decide what had to be sacrificed for what. Dear StarClan, he was barely seven moons old! Little more than a kit himself!

How could be possibly be so serene? Was he bothered by the blood that had been soaking though his coat? Wasn't he torn apart because of the no-win situation he had been forced to suffer?

"You're confused," he pointed out quite correctly. "I can see it in your eyes. Why?"

He turned his head to give me his full attention. Orangepaw was listening with perked ears. I answered honestly, "I just can't figure you out, Whitepaw. How can you be so calm right now?"

He closed his eyes and answered, "What is there to be worked up over?"

"The clan is shocked deeply by the sudden loss of Leafstar," Orangepaw mentioned, reading my mind as usual. "It has shaken them all, and it is making them irrational."

"Sparrowpelt will simmer the anger when he returns," Whitepaw answered confidently.

"You're okay with... with what happened?" I asked hesitantly, cautious not to upset Patchfoot. I glanced at him. He was as stiff as a rock, and he didn't seem to be able to hear anything right now---he looked too stunned.

"Of course I am, Tawnypaw. I knew what it meant to be a medicine cat since before my apprentice ceremony. We do far more than collect and administer herbs. Sometimes bad things happen, and that is just a part of life."

He turned away from me after his answer had been said. I watched silently as he crossed the den and forcefully nudged Patchfoot to his feet. He mewed gently into the senior warrior's ear as he led him towards the vigil.

With one glance in my direction, Orangepaw bounded after the pair of them. Both Stormpaw and Firepaw followed, creating a protective triangle around the younger tom. I saw Shadepaw slinking her way over as well.

It shocked me down to the very bone. How could this possibly be acceptable? How could our warrior ancestors sit back quietly when the clan was turning on itself?

We were _one_ clan. We were _one_ united body. We shared the same heritages and warrior blood. We shared one common goal, survival of the clan. How could _any_ cat deny that three strong, healthy kits would hinder the clan's survival more than help it?

An even more troubling question lingered in the front of my thoughts. Why was it okay for us to be so divided over one cat? Leafstar was old, and would not have lived forever. Maybe she had been so old that her body had ripped _because_ her age made it lethal to try and bear a litter. If that were the case, she would have died of blood loss even if the kits had been cast aside.

But nobody wanted to realize that. They wanted to do something unthinkable---harm a clan mate. Harm a _medicine cat_ of all things. An apprentice, a tom barely older than kit. And some feared they would hurt him. Our denmates were openly guarding him, warning off any possible threats to his safety. His life.

Even the cruelest of leafbares could not have made my blood feel as cold as it did the moment I realized how unforgiving warrior life really could be.

And some secret part of my heart began to wonder if that was what I really wanted my life to be like.

* * *


	5. Aftermath

* * *

All of the clan stayed awake by the time dawn had trickled around. Clovertail had collected a patrol upon her own accord when two oncoming figures halted the clan. Sparrowpelt---no, Sparrow_star_---and Echosong were on their way back from the Whispering Cave.

Stormpaw and Whitepaw had returned to the medicine cat's den shortly before Tinybird. The queen was asleep with the kits now, and we did not wake her when we heard Sparrowstar yowl for a clan meeting.

The three of us padded towards our new leader. The instant we were out in the open, Rockslide called to us tensely, "Why don't you three come sit with me?"

Whitepaw bounded silently over to his father's side. He settled himself in between the great black tom and Clovertail. The other apprentices, along with Shadowfox, Patchfoot, and Duskfall, were all clustered near us.

_Every_ other cat in the clan---Echosong included---were keeping us segregated. They all sat a good four fox-lengths away like we were infected with the fabled blackcough. Many pairs of hostile, bitter eyes burned into our pelts.

It shocked me to learn how mouse-brained some warriors could be. Did they honestly believe that Whitepaw was in the wrong last night? He did the best he could. He had to make a decision. It was quite that simple. I felt a displeased growl bubbling in the back of my throat. Whiskerpaw bushed against me and whispered, "Ignore them, Tawnypaw. Now isn't the time."

I heeded his words, turning my attention onto Sparrowstar. He was gazing down at the clan, his eyes very dark. Half of him looked sympathetic towards the feelings surging through us. Another half of him seemed unhappy with how we had divided ourselves over one cat, even if Leafstar _was_ the most respected leader in the history of SkyClan.

"I have spoken with StarClan," Sparrowstar announced formally. "I have received my nine lives, as well as consulted with Leafstar. She has a message for Patchfoot."

The tom snapped his head up, looking desperately at his new leader. Sparrowstar smiled gently and reported, "She wants you to name one of your daughters Sandkit."

Firepaw and Sandkit---whichever kit that wound up being--were both named after the two ThunderClan cats that were highly decorated among our lore. Well, not lore, but stories of our history.

If Firestar and Sandstorm had not come to this forest, beckoned by the ancient leader Cloudstar, then we would not be here right now. They gathered and trained the clan, and they led them through the legendary defeat of the rats. Skykit, too, had been named after someone. The old tom Skywatcher, the last surviving member of the original SkyClan.

It made sense that Leafstar would want to honor the she-cat that made SkyClan's modern survival possible.

After a moment of stillness, Patchfoot got up and just walked away. We all sat in silence and watched him until he disappeared into the medicine cat's den where his daughters were.

"Leafstar didn't say anything _else_?" Sharpclaw demanded, his scorn and suggestion in his voice as cutting as a sharp rock. He wanted to know the past leaders thoughts on Whitepaw.

Echosong was the one who answered the elder. "She said that it was no longer her place to judge the living cats."

"Sparrowstar," Clovertail interrupted her elder mate, probably in an attempt to avoid a fight. "Have you given thought to who your deputy will be?"

He had until moonhigh tonight to choose, if he needed the time. Apparently he didn't, because he nodded. "I have decided, but something must be done first. Firepaw, Orangepaw, come forward."

Looking startled, I watched my friend and denmate slip to the front of the clan. Sparrowstar announced, "Leafstar made it known that the two of you have earned your warrior names. She wanted your ceremonies to be held today, and I will honor that request."

Despite the dark cloud that seemed to hang above the clan, a little spark of pride seemed to flicker through everyone. The day an apprentice became a warrior was not just an accomplishment for them, but for the entire clan.

"I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices." Sparrowstar yowled the traditional words strongly. "They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Firepaw, Orangepaw, do you both promise to uphold the warrior code? To serve and defend the clan, even with at the cost of your lives?"

"I do!" Firepaw promised immediately. No cat could have ever doubted it.

"I do." Orangepaw echoed, sounding more excited than his intense brother.

Sparrowstar gazed upon the two toms. "Firepaw, you will be known as Firebane. StarClan honors your loyalty and your concentration and welcomes you as a warrior of SkyClan. Orangepaw, you will be known as Orangewhisker. StarClan honors your playfulness and energy and welcomes you as a warrior of SkyClan."

I sprang to my feet and yowled along with the clan, "Firebane, Orangewhisker! Firebane, Orangewhisker! Firebane, Orangewhisker!!!"

When the excitement had died down, Sparrowstar spoke again. "Tonight you two will sit a silent vigil under StarClan. But night is a long time away. You both must get some sleep before then." Like the rest of the clan, they had been up since yesterday morning.

We all settled into a curious silence. It was time for him to name his deputy.

On pace as usual, he instantly recited the required phrase. "I say these words before the spirits of our warrior ancestors so that they may hear and approve my choice. If it is her wish, Shadowfox shall be the new deputy of SkyClan."

My eyes flickered happily onto my mentor. She had been saying a few words of congratulations to Firebane when the announcement was made. Her eyes widened and she glanced up at Sparrowstar.

For one fleeting moment I was surprised with her surprise. But then logic struck me. Of course I would think my very own mentor to be the best cat in the clan, even if they had happened to be one of the lesser warriors. It would have been unnatural for me to be anything but happy with the announcement.

But Shadowfox was a young cat---and that is a generalized statement, too. Especially in a clan with a large number of senior warriors, she really _was_ quite young to have been considered for deputy, let alone chosen.

Sparrowstar wouldn't have picked her unless she was ready for the responsibility, though. It was made obvious that she was ready when she dipped her head and respectfully accepted, "I would be honored to serve as your deputy, Sparrowstar."

The tom seemed pleased. "Good. See to the patrols, then." He motioned for Echosong, and the two of them headed towards the nursery. Whitepaw dashed after them a moment later.

The new deputy didn't look unnerved at all to have every pair of eyes locked onto her, patiently and willingly accepting the day's orders that were to come. The she-cat allowed herself a second to pre-think her patrols before announcing her plans.

"Clovertail, you lead this morning's patrol." Shadowfox decided. "Take Thornfang and Tigereye with you."

Orangewhisker and I instinctively glanced at one another, and his eyes mirrored the shock mine must have been shining with. _The_ most aggressive toms on the clan together in the same patrol? Didn't she see that idea just screeched _bad_?

She continued. "Rockslide, you can lead the hunting party. Briarclaw, Whiskerpaw, and Tawnypaw can come as well."

"What about the sunhigh patrol?" Mintleaf asked her friend from somewhere in the back of the gathered cats.

"You can lead it, Mintleaf." She decided. "Take Stormpaw, Shadepaw, and Nightwing."

That left her, Duskfall, and Sagefur here to guard the clan from any possible danger. Well, Sparrowstar too, and any warriors that had returned from their own patrols.

But why would she want Stormpaw and Shadepaw together? My brother was more headstrong than even me, and Shadepaw was... well, Shadepaw.

The cats began to break apart and organize for their patrols. I bounded over to Orangewhisker and asked quietly, "What do you suppose Shadowfox is thinking? She's just setting the clan up for fighting."

"Or she is trying to prevent it." Whiskerpaw spoke from behind us, making me jump a little with the sudden and unannounced appearance.

"What do you mean?" Orangewhisker and I asked at the same time. That happened more than you'd probably guess it did.

"She put every cat that was the most unhappy with Whitepaw together with at least one cat ready to defend him." My brother answered intelligently.

I realized he was right. Clovertail was with the two biggest opposed because she would best be able to keep their hostility in check. After raising five kits, four of them toms, she probably had a good handle on keeping hot-tempered males in line.

Rockslide was one of the many cats my mother didn't much along with, but with myself and Whiskerpaw around she probably wouldn't start a spat. She tried to be a good role model even after we left the nursery.

Nightwing was the fatherly sort of cat, and Shadepaw and Stormpaw both liked Whitepaw. Mintleaf would have to have thistledown coming from her ears to say anything against him with all three of them in her patrol..

I agreed with my brother, "She did plan the patrols well then, I guess."

"Whiskerpaw! Tawnypaw!" Rockslide summoned us from just past the rockpile. "Hurry up before all the prey dies of old age."

I nudged Orangewhisker and praised, "Congratulations on finally becoming a warrior."

He purred, "Thanks."

"Talk later." Whiskerpaw demanded, already stalking the other way. "We have prey to catch, and I am still three ahead of you from the assessment!"

I flicked my tail at Orangewhisker in a friendly goodbye and padded after my brother.

* * *

I caught up to my brother's count of three fairly easily. In fact, by the time sunhigh rolled around and we had gotten the collective of prey to the fresh kill pile, I was two _ahead_ of Whiskerpaw. Why? Because I had managed to successfully hunt three mice in the fields by the barn, and catch two of the many birds Whiskerpaw failed to take down.

He had not gotten a single item of prey by himself. It was just unusual! He was a great hunter, especially for his age. He had just been so distracted during the hunt, scaring off any potential prey before he even had the chance to stalk half of it.

I set my mice onto the fresh-kill pile and turned to ask Whiskerpaw what was on his mind that could be throwing him off so much. I didn't get the chance. With his head low and his tail dragging in the snow, he was carrying the thrush and the magpie off to the elder's den.

Our mother added a rabbit half my size to the stock of food. She assured me, "He'll be fine. Whiskerpaw was never one to be upset for very long."

"No, that was always Stormpaw." I agreed in a light tone. She nodded once before leaving my side to join Sagefur.

I picked up a fat squirrel, by the smell of it gathered by the dawn patrol. They must have done a bit of hunting. Prey was scarce during the leafbare months, every cat had to contribute.

Anyway, I padded into the medicine cat's den and dropped the creature. I asked the queens, "Are you hungry?"

Tinybird shook her head, silently declining the offer. Cherrytail informed me, "Clovertail already brought us enough, Tawnypaw. Why don't you and Whitepaw share that?"

Whitepaw looked up from where he was sorting some sort of berry. Echosong agreed almost instantly, "You both need to eat and rest. Whitepaw, you can leave the berries. I'll get them."

The other apprentice nodded and followed me out of the den. We were headed towards Stormpaw and his mentor Mintleaf when the she-cat growled suddenly. She learned closer to Stormpaw and whispered something, glancing our direction with narrow eyes.

To my shock, Stormpaw's muscles tensed and I saw his hackles start to rise. Did he believe the lies she was probably spewing to him?

I suggested, "Why don't we go eat with someone else?"

Whitepaw said nothing, as he was carrying the squirrel. His eyes seemed to challenge me and he ignored my suggestion, padding forward confidently and lying down right beside Mintleaf. I felt both respect and irritation towards his decision, but I followed him and crouched beside him anyway.

"Remember what I said, Stormpaw." Mintleaf warned before turning and padding over to Tigereye and Shadowfox.

"Do you want the first bite?" Whitepaw offered me in a cheerful voice, nudging my squirrel closer.

"Did you catch that squirrel, Tawnypaw?" Stormpaw asked me suddenly, his tone dark and sinister as his fierce, ocean blue eyes pinned Whitepaw down.

"Does that _matter_?" I asked, feeling confused. The prey was shared amongst all the clan. Apprentices hunted for the elders and queens, not for us!

"It does if _he_ caught it." My brother growled, his claws unconsciously unsheathing as Whitepaw lifted his head to meet his glare.

"Are you suggesting that I would poison my den mate?" Whitepaw asked quietly and calmly. I felt shock thrill through my body at the very idea. How could Stormpaw ever think that?

"You let your leader die." He sneered viciously, "Who knows what sort of things you'd do to her?"

"Leafstar's death was an unfortunate, unpreventable, accident." Whitepaw firmly insisted.

"Was it?" A new voice, Thornfang's voice, asked from behind us. "Or is that just what you want everyone to think?"

I felt Whitepaw shiver under his fur as the two intimidating toms loomed over him. Springing to my paws I stepped directly over him, like a mother guarding her kit almost. I felt my fur bristling and I glared up at my kin. I snarled, "What gain would he get from her death? You're both being mouse-brained!"

"And _you_ are being foolish and blind!" My uncle hissed at me. "You risk yourself spending time with him."

"It's my life to risk." I reminded them, adding for good measure, "_If_ Whitepaw were a murderer."

Alerted by the suddenly confrontational atmosphere, Shadowfox hurried over to our sides. She asked curiously, "Is there a problem over here?"

Stormpaw ducked his head and silently took a few steps away from us. He wouldn't even challenge the deputy. Thornfang and I just stood there glaring at one another. I'd lose miserably in a fight against him if he were angry enough to attack me—but StarClan knows I would go down fighting to protect my friend. My clanmate. It was my obligation as a warrior-to-be of SkyClan to make sure those that could not defend themselves were kept safe.

Medicine cats did not know how to fight.

"Thornfang," My mentor addressed sharply, "is there a problem?"

The tom snapped his head to the side, his burning blue eyes locking onto her bright golden ones. The air around her seemed to be radiating challenge. _She_ was not a young apprentice, and _she_ would have no problem putting him in his place if he dared to attack her. The mutinous look in his eyes almost made me think he would.

To my surprise, he dipped his head very slightly. He sounded deadly when he answered, "No, Shadowfox, there isn't a problem."

"Yes there is!" Tigereye bellowed from half way across the camp. I glanced behind him to see the other warriors watching and Sparrowstar hurrying down from the nursery—which he had been helping clean out of blood.

Shadowfox glanced at her brother in surprise. She tried to warn him off, "Tigereye, don't cause trouble over nothing."

"It isn't over nothing, sister.." He answered, his tone kinder to her than any of us were used to hearing. He came to stand beside her, but turned his head back to the rest of the clan. He yowled loudly, "I have spoken to Echosong! She has told me that Leafstar never had to die. That he could have saved her and the kits—a way she had taught to Whitepaw during Tinybird's kitting nearly a moon ago!"

Even I felt shocked to learn this. I glanced down at Whitepaw in horror. Was it all actually true? Had he actually... _tried_ to her Leafstar die?

_"It's her or the kits, Tawnypaw, and I've made my decision."_

My heart clenched with re-lived fear when I heard his voice echo around my ears. No, they were wrong. They had to have been wrong. I heard it in Whitepaw's voice. He had not chosen hastily. He had no _thought_ that it was one or the other. He _knew_ that it had to be that way, and he did the best he could.

"Tell us what you've learned, Tigereye!" Petalnose demanded.

He obeyed the elder, his scorching gaze returning to Whitepaw. "She said you could have had another queen deliver the kits while you stopped the bleeding inside of Leafstar."

Whitepaw squirmed out from under me and rose to his paws. He returned the tom's gaze unflinchingly and protested, "That was not an option. She was not bleeding on the inside. Just look in the den if you need that proof."

"Echosong," Sparrowstar called out, his voice instantly hushing the clan. He looked desperately at the medicine cat. "Echosong, you had explained Leafstar's body before the burial. Is it true that she had wounds which could cause external bleeding?"

The medicine cat and her apprentice exchanged a loaded look. Echosong dropped her gaze shamefully and admitted, "The damage from the kitting was too vast for me to confirm or deny it."

A rippling, shared whisper shot through the clan. Words like _traitor_, _killer_ and _banishment _were distinguishable.

Every hostile pair of eye turned back onto Whitepaw. For once, he wasn't able to defiantly hold the gazes. Not when the whole clan as a collective was leering him down. His fur bristled uncomfortably and he pressed against my side with a whimper.  


* * *


	6. Developements

* * *

"That is _enough_," Sparrowstar yowled as he came stalking into the center of the clearing. His bright eyes glowed with disappointment as he glared down the clan. "I will hear no more of these accusations. They are against a clan mate!"

His outraged voice echoed off the stone walls and into the ears of every cat. He narrowed his eyes and continued, "This energy is wasted arguing when there is a clan to be fed and cared for. Apprentices, collect new moss for the nursery. Warriors, go and be useful!"

"Shadowfox hasn't assigned the dusk or midnight patrols yet!" Briarclaw yowled unhelpfully from the back of the throng.

Sparrowstar glanced at her. "Have my warriors started needing their deputy to plan each pawstep for them?"

Hissing in offense, Briarclaw collected Sagefur and Thornfang for what I'd assume was a hunting patrol--as it was a good two hours until dusk. The rest of the clan broke away into little groups. Shaking his head a little, my leader glanced in this direction.

"Whitepaw, Tawnypaw, why don't you two go get some sleep? You've both been up all day." Sparrowstar invited, though it seemed more like an order than a suggestion. "Shadowfox, come talk with me in my den."

Shadowfox caught my eye and decided, "Be ready for the morning. We have battle practice."

I nodded and she bounded after Sparrowstar. I felt myself relaxing now that the danger level was low. I licked Whitepaw's bristling shoulder fur until his tense muscles loosened. He wiggled out from under me at the same time that Shadepaw came scampering our direction.

The she-cat nudged her brother, her eyes wide. "Are you okay, Whitepaw? Thornfang looked like he wanted to rip your throat out!" Her voice was more shaken than serious. I, on the other paw, felt a sharp stab of horror pierce my heart.

What if she was actually right? What if my uncle _had_ wanted to kill Whitepaw? What if most of the clan wanted to see _his_ bleeding body set under the rockpile where Leafstar's had been a sun prior?

Smelling my sudden fear, the siblings both fixed me with a strange look. Shadepaw snorted, "Oh, what's wrong with you? You weren't acting like such a kittypet a minute ago."

I glared at her and felt my tail fluff out in irritation. I snapped, "Why don't you go and collect moss before Shadowfox claws your whiskers out?"

Spitting angrily in my direction, but wisely choosing to take the sting of my words instead of provoke me further, the she-cat turned away and headed towards my brothers.

"What are you afraid of all of the sudden?" Whitepaw asked me quietly. His clear blue eyes turn upwards so he could stare at me. The strength in his gaze invited me to tell him--even though he might not have wanted to hear it said aloud.

"I think that some of the others want to hurt you. Kill you, even." I frowned deeply at the idea.

"You're probably right," he answered as he turned his head away.

His calmness was tweaking my tail. I lost my temper with it finally and growled, "What is wrong with you, Whitepaw? How can you possibly be okay with that? These are your clanmates!"

He shrugged a little. "They are warriors. They have been taught to use their natural aggression when they are afraid or upset, because it can keep them safe in a bad situation. The clan is both scared and upset with the sudden loss of Leafstar, and the idea of a clan mate possibly being a cold-blooded murderer."

"But you _aren't_!" I protested loudly.

"I know that, and so do you," Whitepaw acknowledged. "But we cannot think for them. They have to learn how to think for themselves."

"They already know how," I responded disdainfully. "They just choose to follow the leader, and unfortunately that leader seems to be a shared responsibility among the clan's three meanest cats!"

"I wouldn't be sure of that," Whitepaw warned.

I blinked in surprise. "You think there is someone fiercer than Mintleaf, Tigereye, or Thornfang?"

My friend glanced at me again. "No, that's common logic. I meant that you shouldn't be so sure they already know how to think for themselves."

I sat beside him, staring at him in confusion for a few heartbeats. What could he possibly mean? I shook my head and asked, "I... What are you talking about, Whitepaw?"

He just looked away, ignoring my question. After a while he asked, "I can trust you, right?" I was surprised to hear the tone of his voice. For once, my too-wise and too-insightful friend sounded like the small, young cat he really was.

I nudged his shoulder once and purred, "With your life."

"StarClan is always with me," he whispered. "I see them every now and then. Changing the winds to blow a dangerous scent our way. Scaring prey towards the hunting patrols so we can catch it easier. Curling up with the queens and elders on the coldest of nights. The ancestors are watching over us the best they can."

He trailed off. I urged, "So what does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything," he spat darkly, making me just at his suddenly aggressive posture. "StarClan has everything to do with absolutely everything. And yet--they have no power at all. They cannot aid any of us. Nothing matters but the living cats, because even StarClan has laws they must obey. Just as you have your code, and I have mine."

This sudden hate in his voice shocked me to the core of my bone. I hadn't even thought that Whitepaw was capable of being anything but gentle--excluding his few flares proving he carried strong warrior blood in his veins. I uncomfortably admitted, "I don't understand."

"You will," he whispered instantly. His eyes, so pleading and terrified and adoring all at once, flickered up to my own and seemed to look into my very soul. He promised me, "You _will_ understand, Tawnypaw. StarClan has a destiny for all cats, sometimes even before we are born. Our destiny will require more understanding than anyone's."

The fur along my spine bristled and I felt a chill run through my body. I whispered just loud enough for him to hear me, "But why?" I didn't understand much about this whole idea of destiny, or fate, or whatever it was he was rambling about. I just didn't like the sound of it!

"Somethings things just are. StarClan cannot decide--" He cut himself off very abruptly. Narrowing his ears and lowering his ears he turned away from me and started stalking towards the den like Sparrowstar had told us to. Horribly lost and confused, I silently pushed myself to my paws and followed him.

* * *

That night I was jolted away when some cat tread on my tail. Yowling angrily, I snapped it away and glared up at the offender. Whitepaw glanced at me apologetically, "Sorry. I didn't see it there." He turned back to the exit of the den, pressing his shoulder against Whiskerpaw to help support him as he unsteadily stumbled forward. He suddenly broke into a deep fit of coughing before they disappeared around the corner.

I sat up in alarm and asked the others, "Is he sick?" I realized he probably was. It would explain how distracted he'd been from his training these past few suns.

"Shadepaw, too." Stormpaw answered as he tried to prod the she-cat awake. Her nose was streaming and her breathing was very raspy. I helped rouse her, and we herded her to the medicine cat's den with gentle nudged and encouraging words. She was very unsteady and weak on her paws.

Looking deeply concerned, Sparrowstar sat beside Echosong outside of her den. He saw us coming and bounded over. He pressed himself up against Shadepaw to support her and glanced at myself and Stormpaw. "You two need to help Tinybird get herself the young kits to the nursery. I can't risk keeping any of them around the sick cats. I'll help Shadepaw."

We darted into the den. Tinybird was carrying little Thrushkit as she pushed past us. Whitepaw had Russetkit and he trailed right after her. Skykit was sitting beside Leafstar's little newborns. He filled us in, "I'm taking this little one. You two should get the heavier ones!"

With surprising tenderness, Skykit grasped the scruff of his surrogate sister and steadily made his way out of the den. I picked up the little russet one and followed him, hearing Stormpaw just behind me. We carefully climbed up to the nursery and set the squirming bundles at their mother's belly. Skykit had, to my surprise, curled up with Cherrytail and her litter.

I realized as an afterthought that I shouldn't have been quite as shocked. Tinybird already had a lot of kits to worry about. The other she-cats would help her raise her charges, but not until they were at least a moon old like Russetkit and Thrushkit--and able to walk and start to play and explore. Skykit was Tinybird's son, but Cherrytail had taken over as the temporary mother role.

That was one of the greatest things about Clan life, in my opinion. We all looked out for each other, and because of it we had bonds stronger than the odd red stone Twoleg nests are made out of.

"Stormpaw! Tawnypaw!" Both my brother and I had been gazing at the little ones, so my mentor's voice made us jump. Whitepaw chuckled at the reaction as we padded out of the den. I peered over the rocks to see Shadowfox gazing up at us. She warned, "Stay where you are."

I followed where she was headed and learned why. Sparrowstar, Echosong, and Shadowfox were helping a few others down to the medicine cat's den. Mintleaf and Sagefur, Patchfoot and Duskfall, were all stumbling their way down.

We had greencough in the warrior's den!

* * *

At dawn, Shadowfox took Stormpaw and me out for an advanced session in battling. We practiced techniques, like that for a badger or fox, and then were put up against each other for one-on-one time.

I should be honest with you. I really just wanted to get back to the camp. I was soaked through my fur with snowmelt, my muscles ached from being used so much in such a short time, and my interrupted sleep last night had me tired and distracted. Stormpaw looked just as dejected as I was starting to feel, but he carried on with the task at paw.

He circled around me half-heartedly and launched a pounce I easily avoided. Mock-snarling, I flung myself at him and we both tumbled into the snow. I lost my vision for a moment as my head bounced against the ice.

"Don't get up," Stormpaw whispered mischievously. He totally relaxed his body, and I curiously did the same--glad for the moment's break.

Shadowfox perked her ears and asked, "Have I worked you both to your deaths?"

Stormpaw complained lightly, "Nearly!"

"My body has gone numb," I added helpfully. "Maybe StarClan s preparing it for my journey to the sky."

My mentor rolled her eyes in good nature. She joked, "You apprentices! No stamina at all."

Stormpaw glanced at the sky, and I instinctively did the same. It really wasn't that far into sunhigh, but we had never had such an intense workout before. I stood up and shook snow clumps out of my fur. I complained with more heart than Stormpaw, "Sparrowstar will send search parties out for us if we are away much longer!"

"Echosong would knock us dizzy if we got ourselves sick," Stormpaw muttered as he started licking his fur dry. I realized the wisdom to his words and began to do the same.

"Are you too tired to hunt a little on the way home?" Shadowfox asked, her voice incredibly serious. With so many of the clan so ill, we all had to take on double hunting duties in the leafbare season. The sick cats needed their strength, and so did the queens and kits! But if we over-worked ourselves we would fall prey to the greencough easier, and that's two sets of strong, young paws wasted.

"Could we rest a little first?" Stormpaw asked pleadingly. He was never one to complain about working hard. He must be more tired than he looked!

"Of course," our deputy answered. "Just stay here a while. When you're ready, head back home. I will go ahead of you."

We agreed in unison. She alerted, "And you're both on the midnight patrol with Clovertail, so get some rest when you get back home." We nodded and watched her as she bounded the other direction.

Heaving in a deep breath, Stormpaw sank onto the ground. I lay beside him and licked his ear, asking anxiously, "Are you okay? It seems like you're having some shortness of breath."

Stormpaw shifted away from me awkwardly, looking at his paws. He muttered, "I'm fine."

His dark blue eyes seemed a little cloudy. With a feeling of mounting fear I asked, "Are you getting sick, too, Stormpaw?"

"No," he answered much too quickly. I narrowed my eyes and pinned him under a stern glare. He crumbled and lowered his ears. "Well, maybe. But you can't tell anyone! They'll quarantine me, too, and then we'll be one set of paws less. The clan needs all of us."

"The clan doesn't need you to turn a mild sickness into greencough," I reprimanded him. "You need to let Echosong treat you."

"I can't!" he wailed, startling a bird that was in a near-by tree.

We just looked at each other for a few long moments. I knew he would only be terribly put-out with me if I told Shadowfox about this. I didn't want that. And he _was_ a big help in such a tough time. I asked, "Will you let Whitepaw treat you in secret?"

His fur bristled and he started to snarl. I swiped a sheathed paw at him, making him rear back. I ordered sharply, "You had better stop doing that, Stormpaw. Whitepaw is loyal to his clan. He'd never hurt a single one of us."

"Mintleaf says he would." Stormpaw shot back. "So does mother, and even Sagefur seems weary of him."

"They're fools," I demanded as I, too, stood up. "Every one of them. What do they know about him? What do _you_ know about him, except for the cowardly rumors that are circulating?"

He lowered his eyes, silent because he couldn't answer that question. I continued, "Whitepaw is my friend, Stormpaw. I trust him--with my very life. He may be a little odd, but he's a medicine cat. He was just born to be strange to us warriors. Just like he was born to do what was best for the clan, and saving Leafstar would not have been best for the clan."

I was relieved to see his fur flattening as my words sunk in. He was starting to believe me, to the extent that he would let himself. After a while he pointed out, "No other cat in the clan trusts him. What if he is just using your loyalty to his advantage, knowing you'll defend him?"

I didn't let myself get offended. Stormpaw was thinking like a warrior now, which was never something to be mad about. I even took a moment to consider this idea. Why did I trust him so much? Because he trusted me, and because I could see how much he genuinely wanted to care for us all. How deeply he was committed to the codes he had pledged himself to. He _was_ a good cat.

"Because he's my friend." I answered simply. "That's what friends do, we trust one another. And as my brother, I would hope that you'd respect me enough to accept that as an answer and not make my quest even more difficult than it is--if you're not going to help me."

"And what's this quest?" he asked calmly, which really was a change for him. He had inherited Briarclaw's ferocity, and Mintleaf was just feeding it as he grew older under her watchful eye.

"To prove that Whitepaw doesn't deserve the treatment he's getting," I hesitated, adding, "To prove that _no_ loyal cat, none that are or ever will be, deserve to have the clan they devote their life to turn on them purely out of cowardly panic and mouse-brained lies."

"Whiskerpaw believes you," he whispered, studying the sky again--as if he was silently begging StarClan to give him the strength he needed to trust my word over the opinions of the whole clan. "Shadepaw says the same sort of things to him, and he is on Whitepaw's side."

"So are Firebane and Orangewhisker," I added for good measure. I left out the elder warriors, we did not concern ourselves with them. They were the core of the problem.

"It doesn't help him any that he keeps doing weird things," Stormpaw pointed out defensively, as if trying to prove a point that my judging him was not necessary. "He always stares at the rest of us without blinking, all intense and whatever. And he's so shifty when passing out herbs, or asking about injuries. It's just... unnerving. Even Sparrowstar seems wary of him sometimes."

I shrugged. "So, Skykit does the same thing. He gazes at the clouds like all day if he has nothing better to do, and he's a little strange to talk with. Does that mean we should instantly shun Skykit, and want to hurt him?"

"Good point," my brother praised. After a moment he sighed, "I guess I could stop snapping at him. But I won't trust him until he proves to me that he's trustworthy!"

"Fair enough." I shrugged casually, though I was deeply relieved. I needed both my brothers to back me up. The united-front worked wonders within the clan system. Shaking melted snow off my paws I reminded, "We should do hunt. Come on."

Stormpaw walked a little bit away from me as we headed into the forest. I asked him after a while, "So can Whitepaw treat you? I'll have to tell Echosong if you say no."

He snorted. "Well I suppose I have to say yes then, don't I?"

We both laughed just a little bit, and then charged into the forest in pursuit of some prey.

* * *

**_A/N_**: _Sorry for the super long time between updates. You know, life._

* * *


End file.
